Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-14
The New Civil Service Rules.
A SENSIBLE AND DIsPAss10NATH VIEW.
NEW YORK. May ID, 1887.

NEW YORK, may I3, 1851.
To the Editor Of THE EVENING STAR:
VIII you please allow one who has spent twelve
years Of his life In the civil service at washington
to say a few words in regard to the new rules re-
Gently promulgated by the Civil Service Commits
sion. and also few Of the old rules?
Having left the service before any rules at all
disinterestedIy on the matter. Let me premise by
saying that the civil service OF this Government
does not diner materially from business carried
private business may be assumed to be applicable
to public business A chief OF bureau In Depart
business house. He is, therefore, or should be-
competent to carry on its business. Remove po-
li ,1 pressure from having any influence over
ready to act fairly and honestly toward their
he viii nos be Is slow ON 1T nns
sort of men he has under him. especially his chiefs
OF division, who come In more direct contact with
him. And right at this point wish to make my
first remark about the system OF appointment Of
chiefs OF division. These gentlemen are exempted
pointed direct from outside These are, therefore,
political appointments as rewards for political
services This, In the eyes Of politicians, I sup
the nature Of the civil service WIN see at once how
wrong this is. The chief Of division should never
ginning the business details Of his division This
Is labor Of years. How man fresh from the
higll-tOned business OF procuring votes for his
proper qualifications for filling such responsible
place the public may Judge: It is proper that
tom and creep up by promotion as the chances are
opened to them. It Is proper that upon entering
the service they should give the Government
The duties OF their positions, and to this end
an examination upon general knowledge Is emil
service he becomes like most business men spe.
ctalist. He has certain duties to perform, and the
more he studies to perform these properly and
place. The studies he may have to follow are not
naturally limited because OF special work, for to
do his work properly he may have to learn great
DEAL In many cases as much as he can master.
Now, If clerk on entering the service has given
proofs OF his ability sufficient to receive an APP
pOintment, and he subsequently maintains his ef-
ficiency in the service ask what earthly good is
it to the public service that this man should be re-
quired to cram his head with a number Of things
entirely foreign to his duties. In q word, that he
should be obliged to constantly and repeatedly
undergo the system OF cramming which Is but too
often practiced in our public schools is preposter
GUS, not to use stronger term. therefore see
no use In these repeated periodical andcompusOry
examinations as proposed by the Civil Service
Commission, and believe that a little experience
In applying them will soon demonstrate their inu-
tlity and harmfulneSS.
For promotions, however, I am a believer in
upon the subjects appertainng to the business for
which the promotion is sought For the grades
below chiefs OF divisions believe it would be wise
to leave to the chiefs Of divisions and the chiefs OF
bureaus wide latitude in selecting the questions
for examinations in accord with the other men,
berS OF the examining board. Examinations
should not be compulsory. II a man feels himself
able to do a certain thing well, but doubts of his
ability to seek higher and be successful, let him
abstain it is his loss. But If he does not wish to
compete do not see why he should be turned out.
There are always lots OF men who aspire higher.
and, II you do not make your examinations alb
surdly difficult or crammed with heterogeneous or
Irrelevant questions to the subject these places
will not go begging The civil service and private
service are alike, and rules applicable to one are
ut for the other. Our large railroad CON-
pan1eS, manufacturers, merchants, bankers, &C.,
know how to ascertain the efficiency of their
employees; there should be no more difficulty in a
chief of bureau to do the same But by all means
have him untrammelled and unpledged to any
politician, be he even an NJ. c. or Senator. I
havei In my mind q sad example Of personal ex-
per1ence where, under the old regime, when we had
no civil service law, had to go and ask the pro-
tect1On-hOw hum1l1ating the word is-of mem
Der OF Congress who short time afterward was
sent to an asylum for 1nebriateS. This was the
regime which few newspapers are now lament
ing over and the goods old days OF the spOilS SyS
tem How noble, how high-tOned It was, trulyl
In word Mr.. Editor let the clerk feel that he is
not a pauper to whom the Government gives
charity on condition OF doing political work. rather
than his legitimate departmental work; let him be
assured that whilst he does his duty faithfully
and efficiently he may be sure of his position,
then you will have good servants, a general aver
age as good as In any other business Much more
could be said on this subject but newspaper space
Is valuable, and this no place to write an essay.
c. CoLNE.